75% of consumers say they stop trusting a brand after one misleading post — a sharp cost many businesses can’t afford.
We believe good writing puts integrity first. It balances audience needs with business goals and builds trust through honesty and clarity.
In this guide, we set clear principles: be truthful, accurate, and respectful in every story. Portray people as whole human beings, seek informed consent, and avoid objectification.
You’ll get practical steps you can apply today across company channels — from blog posts to social captions and landing pages. We’ll show ways to protect reputation, improve marketing performance, and create long-term brand equity.
Shift the focus from chasing clicks to sharing useful information that solves problems and reflects your values. Make these practices part of how you scope, draft, review, and publish — not just a checkbox.
Key Takeaways
- Truth and accuracy build trust and reduce risk.
- Portray people respectfully and seek consent.
- Ethical choices improve marketing and brand value.
- Apply practical steps across blogs, social, and landing pages.
- Focus on helpful information over gimmicks for real impact.
What ethical content means today and why it matters for your brand
Trust starts with straightforward information and clear disclosures. Today’s bar for good writing is simple: be honest, accurate, and respectful. That means declaring relationships, noting payments or free products, and correcting errors fast.
Integrity and transparency are not abstract ideals. They show up in small practices you can adopt now. Cite reputable sources, avoid exaggerated claims, and place disclosures close to the claim so viewers on any device see them.
When you prioritize clarity, your audience spends less time guessing. Plain-language explanations and consistent voice build trust. Over time, reliable messaging drives repeat visits, referrals, and higher conversion rates for your marketing and business goals.
Use multiple sources to reduce misinformation risk and protect against accidental plagiarism. Treat consent and respectful portrayal as essential steps when you feature people. Aligned practices keep your brand believable and your products consistent with what you promise.
- Define honesty, accuracy, and clear disclosures as standards.
- Practice source citation and plain disclosures near claims.
- Measure trust through repeat visits and engagement, not clicks alone.
Center dignity and minimize harm in creating content
Treat subjects as whole people — that shift shapes safer, more honest storytelling.
Use a dignity-first lens. Show resilience, goals, and preferences so individuals are not reduced to hardship. This approach protects groups and strengthens trust with your audience.
Depicting resilience without objectifying vulnerable people
Show agency and context. Avoid images or wording that suggest helplessness. Instead, highlight courage, choices, and support systems.
When and how to use graphic or sensitive material responsibly
Use discretion with graphic visuals or health data. Consult protection colleagues and assess privacy risks before publishing.
“Seek informed consent and avoid humiliating or degrading portrayals.”
Post-production choices that preserve accuracy and respect
Do not manipulate elements to change reality. Never place text over faces or alter identifying details without clear permission.
- Obtain and document consent; record who, what, when, where, and why.
- Label AI-generated or greenscreen video so viewers are not misled.
- Ask: would I be comfortable if this were my family? If not, revise.
These practices reduce harm, uphold integrity, and improve marketing outcomes by building lasting trust.
Informed consent: practical guidelines for content creators
Consent starts with a plain explanation, a chance to ask questions, and a signed form when possible. Tell people who you are, where material may appear, and what data you will keep. Be clear about limits to privacy and that once published, control may fall.
Make permission a conversation, not a checkbox. Allow time to answer questions. Use simple language and offer translations when needed. Confirm understanding before you record or publish.
- Define practice: explain who you are, what you’re recording, where it may run, and any data limits.
- Forms and storage: leave a signed copy with the person and archive another with detailed metadata to meet standards.
- Special groups: never identify child survivors, detainees, or hostages. Assess capacity for children, patients, and migrants.
- Rights: explain how to withdraw permission, share contact details, and state that withdrawal may not erase published items.
- Video care: treat moving images like photos—confirm on-camera agreement and avoid revealing identities when risk rises.
“Is there anyone you don’t want to see this? Would you prefer no photo or video? Are you still comfortable proceeding?”
Follow these guidelines to protect individuals, preserve trust with your audience, and keep marketing efforts respectful and transparent.
Representation without stereotypes
How we show people in stories changes real-world power and perception. Stereotypes reduce complex lives to single ideas and can harm trust, reputation, and the communities you serve.
Start with a visual and language audit. Scan images and copy for familiar tropes: poverty as the default, passive roles, or the “outsider savior” frame. Replace one-note portrayals with context-rich scenes that show skills, hopes, and everyday life.
Power dynamics and roles: avoiding harmful narratives
Ask simple questions: who speaks, who acts, who leads? Shift scenes so people shown are also the actors and decision makers.
Collaborating with communities to portray whole human stories
Involve local colleagues and community members in planning and review. Secure clear consent and discuss how images and captions will appear. Use local data and language so stories fit real context rather than flattening whole groups.
- Audit visuals and replace overused tropes with fuller stories.
- Co-create with communities to surface nuance and build trust.
- Highlight co‑creation, leadership, and agency—avoid passive framing.
- Use a stereotype screen before publishing and track audience feedback.
For practical guidance on representation and diversity in media, see this overview of representation and diversity.
“Show aspirations, skills, and resilience alongside challenges.”
Accuracy, originality, and sourcing standards
Reliable reporting rests on a clear map of sources before you write a single line. Build that map with primary research, expert interviews, and reputable reports. This reduces mistakes and strengthens trust in your work.
Using diverse, vetted sources and proper attribution
List sources early so you don’t rely on a single article. Attribute consistently with a simple citation form and links so readers can verify information.
Document who provided each fact and why it is credible. Store that context in metadata for every asset, especially images and interviews.
Quality control to prevent misinformation and plagiarism
Enforce originality by running drafts through plagiarism checks and a two-step review: a subject-matter expert for facts, and an editor for clarity and tone.
- Use a pre-publish checklist: confirm sources, verify numbers, link evidence, and note limits.
- Log corrections and update blogs and pages when new information appears.
- Keep consent and context metadata with each file to protect individuals and the brand.
“Verify, cite, and correct—then publish with transparency.”
For practical guidance on accurate law writing, see accurate law content.
Ethical content and AI: risks, safeguards, and disclosure
Before you scale AI tools, map risks so your work protects people and your brand.
AI raises real concerns: bias from training data, invented facts, privacy leaks, and unclear ownership of outputs. These issues can damage trust and marketing results fast.
Bias, inaccuracy, ownership, and privacy implications
Identify risks up front. Check training sources, block personal data in prompts, and record who owns generated material. Clarify consent and data handling before you publish.
Clear prompts, guardrails, SME review, and ongoing monitoring
- Define the AI task and its purpose for your marketing goals.
- Write precise prompts with tone, approved sources, and banned topics.
- Require SME fact-checks and editor review before publish.
- Audit outputs regularly and retrain prompts or policies as needed.
Labeling AI-generated and synthetic media to avoid confusion
Be transparent. Label text, images, and videos created or altered by models so your audience understands form and origin. Clear labels protect trust and meet emerging standards.
“Label synthetic material conspicuously to avoid misleading viewers.”
Transparency in marketing: disclosures, brand values, and governance
Transparency in marketing starts with clear rules that both creators and brands can follow. Make disclosures a visible part of every campaign so your audience sees who paid, gifted, or influenced a post.
Follow FTC guidance for influencer and sponsorship disclosures. Place plain-language statements near the claim so mobile and desktop users notice them. That includes short notes on posts, visible banners in videos, and spoken disclaimers for live streams.
FTC-aligned influencer and sponsorship disclosures
Use clear examples creators can copy. For videos and live streams, say “paid partnership” at the start and show a label on-screen. For gifted products, note the gift and any material connection.
Codifying guidelines, training teams, and accountability workflows
Write a practical playbook that covers disclosures, sourcing, respectful portrayal, and corrections. Train marketers and partners often, and update materials when rules or platforms change.
- Assign approvers and legal checks for high-risk work.
- Document decisions for audits and keep consent records.
- Invite audience questions, track complaints, and publish corrections fast.
“Edited media must not manipulate elements or mislead viewers.” — ICRC
Align every campaign with your brand values and products. That protects rights, builds trust, and raises the overall quality of your marketing.
Conclusion
Wrap up each piece with practical checks that prevent harm and boost trust.
Lead with respect. Verify facts, credit sources, and secure informed consent so people stay protected and your brand stays credible.
Keep disclosures obvious and label AI or synthetic work. That helps your audience know what they see and why it was made.
Use simple checklists for representation and risk. Build workflows with multi-stage reviews before anything goes live.
Finally, treat this as ongoing work: invite feedback, correct errors fast, and update policies as platforms and rules change. This approach improves your marketing, the quality of your content, and the accuracy of the information you share.
